As electric vehicles gain more prominence on the road, New Mexico is looking to expand its electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.
“We currently have 500 electric vehicle chargers in place, and we are currently slated to have several more by the end of the year,” said Day Hochman-Vigil, representative for House District 15.
According to the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee, New Mexico has millions coming into the state to add more charging stations for electric vehicles between federal and state funds.
“We are working hard to make EVs more accessible to everyday New Mexicans. Earlier this year New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced plans to adopt an advanced clean car and truck standard, and this is going to reduce carbon emissions by 82% by 2032,” said Hochman-Vigil.
State transportation officials said in order to make this a reality, this starts with adding more charging stations across the state to support the increase of EVs on the road.
“Today we have approximately 94 charging stations under contract spread over 42 locations across NM. That means by the end of this year we are going to have almost 100 more charging stations, all level 3, all able to help people coming to our communities be able to get to where they need to be, remove range anxiety,” said Jerry Valdez, the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) director.
Metropolitan areas aren't the target areas, according to Valdez. Places like Jemez, Zuni Pueblo, Vaughn, and Elephant Butte are just a few on the list for new charging stations.
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Source: KOB.com
